Favored by the Moon
by Casa Circe
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK 2013 Day Four: Gravity. She drew her strength from the moon. And after a strange twist of fate, he did too.


ZUTARA WEEK 2013, Day 4: GRAVITY

Favored by the Moon

DISCLAIMER:_Avatar: the Last Airbender___belongs to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians. And I always write in a context where neither Kataang nor Maiko ever happened.

NOTE: This is set sometime after the end of Book One and I've changed the way the second book progressed. Hope it isn't too confusing or far-fetched. There were too many ideas for this prompt but it was difficult to put them together in a clear and coherent way. So many images came to mind but not all of them made much sense. If I was a better artist, I would have preferred to draw this.

I also wish I could have made an AMV to "Gravity" from Wolf's Rain but that song has been a tremendous influence on this piece. I included the lyrics at the end because it seemed to fit.

Hope you like it and please leave a review!

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"You are more than your father's son, so much more. And your destiny lies down a long and dangerous path. But have no fear, brave prince, you will not be alone. I will guide you until you find your way."

These words echoed in the firebender's mind as he continued his journey. Ever since the siege of the North Pole, he had been separated from his uncle and he had nearly drowned as the Ocean Spirit expressed his wrath at all those who had dared destroy the balance of the world. He had believed that he would meet his end there, in the depths of the ancient's spirit's rage. But his life had been spared. The Moon Spirit had saved him. And he owed her a debt.

However, all she asked was that he give up his quest to capture the Avatar and find his true path. He did not know what that entailed but he was a man of honor and he would keep his end of the deal.

"But how will I know if I've finally chosen the right way?" he had asked the spirit.

"You will know," came the enigmatic reply, "it will be like a voice calling out to you from the darkness. You have only to follow it."

As much as he disliked riddles, he had had no choice but to move forward, guided by the light of the moon. He travelled alone and in disguise, hiding from both the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. His first instinct was to follow the Avatar's group but he felt convinced that they would never be able to accept him as an ally. But something inside him wanted to help the airbender fulfil his destiny so that though Zuko never really joined the gang, he tried his best to help the Avatar make his way around safely. The firebender sometimes felt that he could hear a voice singing softly to the moon, beckoning him to follow, but he did not know who it was. He was fairly certain it wasn't the Avatar but all he knew was that some strange force was pulling him towards it. And he would follow.

Aang remained blissfully unaware of how many bandits and bounty hunters were thrown off the trail because a certain firebender decided to make them his problem. Sokka, Katara, and Toph, didn't know how many times Fire Nation operations to capture the Avatar were sabotaged to their advantage. Later on, the blind earthbender sensed that their group was being followed but since she also determined that this stranger meant no harm to them, she made no comment. She understood that some people needed time before they could reveal themselves to others.

There was another person in the group who could sense this strange presence. Katara grew suspicious when she noticed that it had been quite some time since they had been chased or attacked by anyone. It was as if they had another friend looking out for them. And strangely enough, she felt his presence more keenly in the evening, when she practiced her waterbending by the light of the moon. She could not explain it but it seemed like this mysterious stranger was drawing strength from the moon and yet Katara also felt certain that this person was no waterbender.

But when the moon shone brightest, she felt more than her waterbending powers increasing. Somehow she thought that if she reached out far enough and called out into the dark, she would be able to draw this unseen ally towards them, towards her. For some unknown reason, she trusted this stranger especially since he seemed to be endorsed by the Moon Spirit.

"Yue, what are you up to?" Katara once asked and she could almost imagine the princess smiling mischievously down at her.

"Only you have the power to bring him closer," a whisper in the wind told the waterbender, "he is still afraid of revealing himself. But if you continue calling him, you will give him courage."

Katara pondered on these words for many days as they made their way through the Earth Kingdom. As Aang began his earthbending training with Toph, they moved to a more mountainous region. And though they were surrounded by large formations of rock and earth, Katara knew that her mysterious stranger was not too far away. One evening, while she was practicing her bending by the light of the moon, she felt the other's presence so strongly that she had to stop.

"I know you're out there," she said, hoping that the person would hear her, "and I know that you are a friend. Don't be afraid. I want to see you."

Silence. Katara sighed. Suddenly, Toph emerged from a corner of the woods. She had been observing Katara's behaviour for quite some time now and she was growing more impatient to learn the identity of their secretive shadow.

"Since he's still too shy to show himself," the earthbender commented, "perhaps we should give him a little incentive."

"What are you talking about, Toph?" Katara asked in puzzlement.

The young girl merely grinned before getting into a firm, earthbending stance, closing her fists and doing a quick motion. The ground shifted on the nearby rock formation and Katara heard the echo of someone falling from above.

Before she could scold Toph for such reckless action, Katara focused on cushioning the person's fall by bending a wave of water from the lake.

"There, I've got you," Katara said as she approached the very shaken figure. As soon as she saw his face she stared at him incredulously. He was too nervous to meet her gaze so he looked away.

But for all her initial confusion, Katara knew in her heart that he was the one the moon had sent. He had answered her call, in his own way, and their fates were entwined. She smiled and reached out her hand. Zuko stared at her for a few moments before taking it.

"Nice catch, Katara," Toph teased, sensing that things were about to get so much more interesting, "it's not every day your destiny falls from the sky."

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_Been a long road to follow__  
__Been there and gone tomorrow__  
__Without saying goodbye to yesterday__  
__Are the memories I hold still valid?__  
__Or have the tears deluded them?__  
__Maybe this time tomorrow__  
__The rain will cease to follow__  
__And the mist will fade into one more today__  
__Something somewhere out there keeps calling__  
__Am I going home?__  
__Will I hear someone singing solace to the silent moon?__  
__Zero gravity what's it like?__  
__Am I alone?__  
__Is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet?__  
__Still the road keeps on telling me to go on__  
__Something is pulling me__  
__I feel the gravity of it all_


End file.
